Flat tyre

Left the office to take my English class this evening to find a flat rear offside tyre (above). This happens to me at least once every year, but only when driving with winter tyres. For some reason, winter tyres are much more vulnerable than summer ones. Worst case was returning from a conference (of tomato growers!) in Sandomierz two years ago. It was six pm, 45 km from Warsaw and -26C when a tyre went. We hobbled to a nearby roadside hotel and pulled into the car park. In the cold, the cable to the boot gave way. The boot could not be opened. The spare tyre had to be hauled out over the back seat. The job was done, but what a struggle. This time it was easier, Daniel kindly popped out of the office to lend me a hand (below).

Now I need to find a local wulkanizator to fix the flat tyre (typical charge 20 zlotys, around four quid). There seem to be plenty about. Now where in the UK would one find a 'vulcanisator'? There's not even a word for one! You'd need to go to a Mr Tyre, Tyreland or Kingdom of Tyres where the standard response would be "Nah mate, you need to change all four. Tell you what, hundred quid the lot."

Incidentally, notice the horizontal lines on the photos. This is image noise. These snaps were taken on the Nokia N95. The EXIF file says 1/17th sec at f2.8, 800 ISO. The Nikon D80 has noise reduction software for removing this digital shortcoming.


SUPPLEMENTARY: The very next morning I took the tyre to a wulkanizator. The tyre was fixed in 12 minutes - the cost, as I rightly surmised, was 20 zloties, slightly over four quid. The chap who did it, mid fifties, black leather cap, bushy 'tache, was - and here's another one of those little differences - quite a regular Pan Heniek.

SUPPLEMENTARY 2: Friday evening, leaving the office - flat tyre no. 2. This time front nearside. A seemingly random coincidence. You can just make out the tyre brand: Semperit. There, you have been warned. A big thanks to Adam and Tessa for stopping by to help me change the wheel in double-quick time.

SUPPLEMENTARY 3: Back to the wulkanizator again - flat tyre no. 3. I'm informed that the tyre was torn horizontally and the rim badly bent. Evidently another hole on the dreaded ul. Poloneza, scene of more bangs and knocks than any other Polish road our poor Nissan's driven on. Cost of repairing tyre and rim - 35 zloties - slightly over seven quid.